Best way to record

Russell Adkins · Post by **Russell Adkins** » 20 May 2019 7:36 pm

I have a Tascam DP32 recorder was wondering how best to record . should I mic my amp and record that way or plug the guitar directly into the recorded . comments are welcome . Russ

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 21 May 2019 12:54 am

Recording, (tracking) , is a process. It varies and can be different from person to person, pro studio to pro studio and home studio to home studio. Way too many variables to answer the question with a direct answer. As there is no real correct direct answer. If someone with a Home Studio tells you otherwise they may be misleading you.

start here:

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=330736

Probably the biggest misconception is purchasing any system, stand-alone or DAW , with the notion that we can create our own home grown recordings. Just like playing any instrument, recording technique and process comes from years of experience. Years of " thats sounds awful" to " wow, it finally sounds pretty good" . I'm not talking about the actual playing of the instruments but rather the sound of the recording itself.

There is no right or wrong, but there is distortion / saturation / noisey vs clean. Its all a work in progress.

Ken Metcalf · Post by **Ken Metcalf** » 21 May 2019 3:25 am

I have had good results putting an SM57 in front of a Nashville 112.

David Mitchell · Post by **David Mitchell** » 26 May 2019 11:00 am

As a general rule when using microphones you will be dealing with phase cancellation issues, room ambience and amp noise when you start to mix. If you go direct you will spend more time using equalization and reverberation to get it to sound desirable. Pick your poison.

Ian Rae · Post by **Ian Rae** » 26 May 2019 12:08 pm

Well put. It depends whether you're after a "live" or a "studio" feel in the end product.

ajm · Post by **ajm** » 27 May 2019 6:06 am

All good comments so far.
One thing occurred to me.

You have a DP32. It has 32 tracks.
I don't now how many other instruments you are recording, or how you're doing it.
But......
Record direct to one track.
Record with a mic'ed amp to another track.
Record the mic'ed amp with another mic to a third track.
Listen back to the results and pick the best one, OR mix them all together until you hopefully get the sound you like.

Some things to keep in mind.

Recording with mics: Mic placement is key, an art in itself, and can be a big headache.
Changing the position/direction the tiniest little bit will give a totally different sound.
That is why I suggested using two mics (or more) at different positions.
Be aware that this can result in other headaches, like phase cancellations, that you'll need to learn how to deal with.

Also, I do not record with mics at home.
I like keeping the volume down, one reason being that I don't want the unintended "advertising" that I have a house full of cool musical gear to unknown passers by, if you get my drift.
If I had a pro studio, with a lock down and sound insulation, it would be a different story.

Asa Brosius · Post by **Asa Brosius** » 27 May 2019 7:48 am

Definitely try both- see which one you like, which one gets you closer to the sound you want to make.

Russell Adkins · Post by **Russell Adkins** » 8 Jun 2019 8:50 am

Im thinking of recording drums first , then rythum guitar and keys , then the melody with pedal steel , next would be fill ins here and there. I can record to a certain track over again if I want to , I have two shure mics a sm 58 and a sm 48 both good mics they both sound pretty much alike to my ears . Tracks are unlimited and fill ins can be anything I want to add guitar , violin , harmonica etc etc I don't have a bass guitar but can add lower notes with the keys when im recording that part im thinking, heck I might find me a bass guitars somewhere. My keyboard is a Yamaha s90 itll make any sound I want from a fart to who know what, so doing bass parts should be a breeze.

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 8 Jun 2019 9:05 pm

Asa Brosius wrote:Definitely try both- see which one you like, which one gets you closer to the sound you want to make.

This is the best advice. Try both and decide which you prefer. I've heard very good and not so good done both ways. A lot of depends how you set it up going in, and also what you do to the track after its recorded.

Most important.... have fun doing it.

RC

Gene Tani · Post by **Gene Tani** » 21 Jul 2019 11:30 am

There's a lot to it, look up books on home recording, and also if your library has back issues of Sound on Sound magazine and Recording magazine. Dave Hunter's "Home Recording Handbook" is an electric guitar-centric book, where others talk more about room treatment, mikes, placement, preamps etc for vocals, piano, violin, winds, all of which are tricky in thier own way.

Ian Rae · Post by **Ian Rae** » 21 Jul 2019 4:38 pm

I should have mentioned that in my engineer days, once we had enough tracks, I would regularly record both the direct and a mic simultaneous and mix them together later. This was particularly desirable with bass guitar where the direct can be too clean and the mic too muddy; but cook them up together and it sounds great!

Gene Tani · Post by **Gene Tani** » 3 Sep 2019 5:39 am

The no cost solutions, assuming ou have a mike, are to try out lots of positions miking the amp and see how it sounds. Try the center and edge of speaker, right up close and backed off a foot etc.

I previously recommended this book, it's guitar centric, the author is an expert on vintage guitars: https://www.amazon.com/Home-Recording-H ... 087930958X

Also Jim Fogle has a good list of books to look for in your library: https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=348179